Fall 2013
Strengthening Leadership through 'Sister Talk'
Members of the inaugural ‘Sister Talk’ book club enjoy gathering to discuss books that focus on women in leadership.
The Women’s Roundtable launched its first book club, “Sister Talk,” in September 2013. The club offers an enriching experience for female Access scholars, with a goal of enhancing leadership skills through intimate conversation with women in leadership positions.
The book club’s reading selections all focus on leadership. For the first meeting, participants read “How Great Women Lead,” by Paralympian Bonnie St. John. The students met at the inaugural book club event to discuss their reading with the four Women’s Roundtable participants: Nancy Ballard, wife of ECU Chancellor Steve Ballard; Dr. Virginia Hardy, vice chancellor for Student Affairs; Dr. Phyllis Horns, vice chancellor for Health Sciences; and Valeria Lassiter, chair of the Women’s Roundtable and chief executive officer of Lassiter & Associates.
Book club members enjoyed a bonus opportunity to meet the author during the October Incredible ECU Women event, where St. John delivered the keynote address.
Lassiter said the book club is achieving its goal of providing a leadership activity for Access scholars. “It was clear from our first book discussion,” she said. “The students were so engaged.”
“They came with their books marked up, quotes from the book, great questions and enthusiasm,” Lassiter said. “Initially, we planned to do just one book a year, but the students wanted to do two.”
Next on the reading list are “The Power of Nice,” by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval and “Lean In,” by Sheryl Sandberg.
Lassiter travels from out of state to attend, but she said it is well worth the effort. “I love to read, hear great ideas, and to watch and experience what happens in an intergenerational conversation. Ultimately, the book club is helping to strengthen both students and alumnae’s leadership,” she said.
Jamitress Bowden, an ECU senior who is a member of the book club, said participation in the club has strengthened relationships among the student members. “When we see each other around campus, we greet each other with warmth and support and have wonderful conversations,” she said.
Bowden added, “The ladies of the Roundtable and the board members are just so supportive and wonderful. I enjoy spending time getting to know the ladies and talking with them.”
Access Scholar Sara Hocutt said that while she enjoys an opportunity to discuss “empowering literature” through the book club, she has also gained inspiration personally, “to aspire as a young woman climbing the educational ladder.”
The club provides “a wonderful opportunity…to network with some of ECU’s most prestigious women,” Hocutt said.
Access scholar Kenya Shakir agreed. She said the group provides a “wonderful meeting place of the minds for female leaders on campus.” The book club, she said, has helped her personal “with networking and harnessing my leadership abilities.”
The idea for a book club originated with Nancy Ballard, who hosts the events at the Chancellor’s residence. The inaugural class included a group of 6 students and four Women’s Roundtable Board of Directors. The maximum number for the inaugural book club is 10 Access Scholarship students. Membership numbers for the inaugural class are kept low to allow for a comfortable roundtable discussion where everyone may participate.
Lassiter said expanding to multiple book club sections around the campus is a definite possibility for the future, since so many alumni and students have expressed interest in joining the conversation.